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No specialized training for Jon Jones ahead of UFC 152

Vitor Belfort has made a career out of utilizing his physical gifts of rapid-fire hand speed and a lethal left hand. Ahead of their UFC 152 headlining matchup, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones said

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Vitor Belfort has made a career out of utilizing his physical gifts of rapid-fire hand speed and a lethal left hand.

Ahead of their UFC 152 headlining matchup, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones said he's aware of what "The Phenom" brings to the table. However, Jones said he didn't bring in any new training partners in hopes of simulating the Brazilian's famed skillset.

Instead, Jones said he stuck with his traditional approach to fighting: looking within for the keys to victory in the octagon.

"I've brought in no one special, no one new, to train for this fight," Jones told AXS TV's "Inside MMA." "I just believe in mainly being prepared for certain positions you're going to be in, certain techniques. I'm sure I'll adjust to the timing when the fight starts. But as far as special partners, we just know what we need to prepare for, and that's all we've done."

"UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort" takes place Sept. 22 at Toronto's Air Canada Centre. The title fight between Jones and Belfort serves as the evening's main event.

Jones is currently an 8-to-1 favorite according to most oddsmakers. "Bones" is 10 years his opponent's junior, and at 6-foot-4 and facing a natural middleweight, he'll be the physically larger man. Those who believe Belfort does have a chance of pulling he massive upset point to his legendary quickness and the devastating power that has made him one of the sport's most-feared striker since his debut way back in 1996.

But Jones, who trains at New Mexico's famed Team Jackson-Winkeljohn, said he doesn't believe the secret to beating elite fighters is finding new partners to offer a similar look.

"I just don't believe in looking for new people to be the answer," Jones said. "I believe the answer should come from within --that self-drive and determination, that will that you have in your heart. That's where the answers to the puzzles are.

"When I started MMA, I had no special coaches. I had no special equipment or anything to train. I just had heart, and it played out for me, so I don't really believe in bringing in new people. I work with what I have, but more importantly, I focus on he positions that I'm going to be faced with. Timing, that's something that will be figured out within the first round of the fight."

If Belfort is able to threaten Jones, most believe he must work quickly and attack from the opening bell. So if Jones is going to wait for the fight to set his timing, he may need to do so quickly. But the 25-year-old is confident he'll be able to do exactly that, and he believes that Belfort's legendary speed may not prove to be too terribly faster than his own.

"His hand speed is definitely a gift that he has, but I believe that I'm really fast, too," Jones said.